Iranian media say a United States warship trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz has been hit with two missiles after ignoring warnings.
The unnamed warship had to withdraw from near the Iranian port of Jask on Monday and “flee”, according to the Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The US military, in a social media statement, denied that one of its vessels had been struck.
The report by Fars came hours after the head of Iran’s joint military command warned US forces they would be attacked if they entered the Strait of Hormuz.
Major General Ali Abdollahi said in a statement that armed forces under his command will “maintain and manage security of the Strait of Hormuz with all strength” in response to US President Donald Trump’s announcement on Sunday that the US would “guide” vessels stranded by the US-Israeli war on Iran through the key waterway.
The latest tensions come as Iranian authorities mobilise supporters to prepare for a potentially lengthy conflict as they continue to exchange proposals with the US amid efforts to end the war that began on February 28 through negotiations.
The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday confirmed that Tehran was reviewing the latest text from Washington relayed through Pakistan but urged a more “realistic” approach from Trump.
Authorities in Tehran will speak about “nothing except for the full end to the war at this stage”, ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters.
Nearly one month after a ceasefire delivered a suspension in large-scale fighting, Iranian authorities are trying to reconstitute their missile and drone capabilities in case the war restarts, including by digging up bombed entrances to underground bases housing munitions and equipment.
Credit: aljazeera.com
